Scottish Executive

Access to Information

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-15634 and S1W-16259 by Sarah Boyack on 18 June 2001 and 2 July 2001 respectively, whether it will issue a comprehensive summary of all reports, studies and procedures, broken down by Executive Department, where it considers that it is not appropriate to divulge to the public matters which are pertinent to the public interest.

Mr Jim Wallace: It would not be practical for the Scottish Executive to publish a summary of information whose disclosure would not be in the public interest. If the summary was to be retrospective this would involve an enormous exercise researching past documents which had not been placed in the public domain and considering whether the public interest in disclosure was outweighed by any of the exemptions in Part 2 of the  Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information .

  In line with its policy on the disclosure of information, as set out in Part 1 of the Code, the Scottish Executive publishes, or releases on request, information whose disclosure is in the public interest.

Accidents

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have died in each of the last three years in fires known to be caused by cigarettes.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information is not available from the statistics prepared by the General Register Office for Scotland. However, the table gives the number of fatalities caused by fires where the source of ignition was known to be smokers’ materials, excluding matches and cigarette lighters.

  


Year 
  

Number of fatalities in Scotland 
  



1997 
  

32 
  



1998 
  

36 
  



19991


33 
  



  Notes:

  1. 1999 figure is provisional.

Aggregates

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the annual level of aggregates sent for waste and on what basis it reached its estimate.

Rhona Brankin: The estimated amount of aggregates sent to landfill in 1999 was 5,200 kilo tonnes. This figure was determined by a pilot survey carried out as part of a research project commissioned by the Scottish Executive. The research report Recycled Aggregates in Scotland can be found in the Parliament’s reference centre (Bib. no. 11522).

Agriculture

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how fallen cattle are disposed of; if by incineration, how many licensed incineration sites there currently are, where each is located, and how many carcases each site is expected to deal with annually.

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what contracts it has issued for the disposal of fallen cattle; to whom these contacts were awarded; how many tonnes each contractor has been asked to dispose of, and what the means and location of disposal are.

Ross Finnie: The Animal By-Products Order 1999 prescribes the following options for disposal of fallen cattle; incineration, rendering, knackery yard or hunt kennel or in limited circumstances burning or burial. Since July 1 there has been an EU requirement on all member states to carry out tests for BSE on all fallen cattle over 30 months old. All bovine carcases that form part of the fallen stock survey are disposed of by incineration. The table shows the names and addresses of the businesses in Scotland awarded contracts by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). The RPA is responsible for procuring disposal facilities throughout Great Britain.

  The annual number of carcases each site is expected to deal with will be governed to a maximum of each individual site’s authorisation as stipulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. This figure has been provided based upon an average weight of 520kgs per beast and the RPA ensure that no more than 90% of this figure is incinerated under their contracts.

  It is not possible to provide an accurate figure in respect of the number of fallen stock carcases that each site is expected to deal with annually.

  


Company name 
  

Address 
  

Authorised max. Throughput per week 
  



Hamilton (Irvine) Ltd 
  

Oldhall West Industrial Estate
Irvine
Ayrshire
KA11 9DG 
  

140 
  



North East Incineration Services 
  

Tarnash House
Tarnash
Keith
Banffshire
AB55 5PB 
  

280 
  



Incineration Scotland 
  

Mosspark
Annan Road
Dumfries
DG1 4PH 
  

192 
  



Sacone, Brechin 
  

The Abattoir
Montrose Road
Brechin
Angus
DD9 7PL 
  

161 
  



Sacone, Glasgow 
  

15/23 Westerburn Street
Glasgow
G32 6AT 
  

213 
  



SAC Aberdeen 
  

Mill of Craibstone
Bucksburn
Aberdeen
AB2 9TS 
  

Dependant on hours of operation 
  



SAC Ayr 
  

Veterinary Science Division
Auchincruive
Ayr
KA6 5AE 
  

Dependant on hours of operation 
  



Orkney Waste Disposal 
  

Chinglebraes Incinerator
St. Ola
Orkney
KW15 1SE 
  

Dependant on hours of operation

Air Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it will allocate for the promotion of international air links.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive has no specific budget provision for the promotion of international air links. The Executive has, however, on-going discussions with its agencies (enterprise networks and VisitScotland) on how best any available funding can be deployed for the greatest benefit of the Scottish economy and tourism.

Cities

Mr Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can supply further details about the arrangements for the review of Scotland’s cities.

Angus MacKay: Since the First Minister’s announced that a Review of Scotland’s Cities would be undertaken, the Executive has carried out preparatory work for the first phase of the work programme. The second phase of external discussion and consultation is now under way. A Sounding Board and Academic Panel have been established to inform and test the review’s emerging thinking.

  Details of the members are as follows:

  Sounding Board

  Ms Oonagh Aitken, COSLA

  Mr Bryan Beattie, Eden Court Theatre

  Professor David Begg, Robert Gordon University

  Ms Ann Clark, Highland Council

  Ms Susan Dalgetty, Edinburgh Evening News

  Mr Iain Dickson, George Watt & Stewart

  Ms Rani Dhir, Drumchapel Housing Co-operative

  Mr Matthew Farrow, CBI Scotland

  Mr Mike Galloway, Dundee City Council

  Mr Vincent Goodstadt, Glasgow & Clyde Valley Structure Plan Joint Committee

  Professor Stuart Gulliver, University of Glasgow

  Mr Stephen Inch, Glasgow City Council

  Mr Donald McGougan, City of Edinburgh Council

  Mrs Lucy McTernan, SCVO

  Mr Mike Scott, Aberdeen City Council

  Mr Douglas Smith, Insignia Richard Ellis

  Mr Eddie Thompson, Morning Noon and Night

  Ms Lesley Thomson, Liddell Thomson

  Ms Tracey White, STUC

  Sir Alan Langlands, University of Dundee

  Dr Raymond Young, University of Glasgow

  Mr Alf Young, The Herald

  Academic Panel

  Professor Brian Ashcroft, Fraser of Allander Institute/University of Strathclyde

  Professor Liz Bondi, University of Edinburgh

  Professor Glen Bramley, Edinburgh College of Art/Heriot-Watt University

  Dr Nick Fyfe, University of Dundee

  Professor Stephen Graham, University of Newcastle

  Professor Stuart Gulliver, University of Glasgow

  Professor Cliff Hague, Edinburgh College of Art/Heriot-Watt University

  Mr Gerry Hassan, Demos

  Professor George Hazel, MacLean Hazel

  Professor Ade Kearns, University of Glasgow

  Professor Greg Lloyd, University of Dundee

  Mr Colin Mair, University of Strathclyde

  Mr James McCormack, Scottish Council Foundation

  Professor Alan McGregor, University of Glasgow

  Dr John McKendrick, Glasgow Caledonian University

  Professor Peter Roberts, University of Dundee

  Professor Michael Pacione, University of Strathclyde

  Professor Susan Smith, University of Edinburgh

  Professor Ivan Turok, University of Glasgow

  Dr Nick Williams, University of Aberdeen

  Additional members are likely to be invited to join both groups, to cover further specific issues, as the review develops.

  I intend to meet with council leaders collectively at internals during the process and each city will have the opportunity to make its case on the particular mix of problems and opportunities it faces.

  The review is planned to conclude in early 2002. It will be firmly set within the changing urban pattern of Scotland and will involve a fundamental review of the key long-term challenges and opportunities affecting Scotland’s cities, with tangible and deliverable measures for progressing the emerging agenda.

Complaints Procedures

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement on 5 July 2001 by the Minister for Justice regarding consultation on an independent body to look into complaints against the police, whether it will detail all complaints procedures which fall within the Executive’s responsibility, which of these already contain significant independent elements, and what plans it has to introduce greater independence into any complaints procedures.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Executive, across all its responsibilities, is subject to independent investigation by the Scottish Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (SPCA) in the event of any claims made by the public of injustice resulting from maladministration.

  The Executive is currently consulting on new proposals for modern public sector Ombudsman arrangements in Scotland, with a view to introduction of a Scottish Public Sector Ombudsman Bill to the Parliament. The key policy contained in the Bill will be the creation of a one-stop shop which will combine the existing functions of the SPCA, the Health Service Commissioner for Scotland, the Commissioner for Local Administration in Scotland and the Housing Association Ombudsman for Scotland. It is proposed that the one-stop shop should also deal with complaints made against Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, whose existing External Complaints Adjudicators will be wound up. The Bill will contain provisions which will continue and reinforce the independence of the Ombudsman function.

  Additionally, specific arrangements exist for dealing with complaints about administrative procedures in certain areas for which the Executive has responsibility. Details are set out in the table.

  


Scottish Executive Area 
  

Nature of Complaints 
  



Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Dept. 
  



Crofters Commission 
  

Complaints against the standard of service provided by 
  Crofters Commission Area Office staff. 
  



Crofters Commission 
  

Complaints about Crofting Building Grants and Loan cases. 
  



Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency 
  

Complaints about dissatisfaction with service provided 
  by the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency. 
  



Environment Group 
  

Complaints about the handling of environmental appeals 
  cases by the Executive.
This process is due to be revised. 
  



Environment Group 
  

Complaints to Scottish ministers that a coast protection 
  authority (i.e. local authority) have failed to take sufficient 
  measures. 
  



CAP Management Division 
  

Complaints about:
administration of the Integrated Administration and Control 
  System which processes CAP schemes; decisions which affect 
  claims for agricultural subsidies, or standard of service 
  received.
The procedure is currently under review as part of the 
  wider review of CAP administration. 
  



Scottish Executive Development Dept. 
  



Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit (SEIRU) 
  

Complaints procedure for services provided by SEIRU as 
  set out in the Unit’s Charter Standard Statement. 
  



Rent Registration Service 
  

Complaints about Rent Registration Service functions. 
  



Scottish Executive Justice Dept. 
  



Courts Group 
  

Complaints about Court of Session judges are submitted 
  to Scottish ministers.
Where serious concerns exist about a Court of Session judge, 
  a tribunal may be constituted to investigate that person’s 
  fitness for office. If the tribunal reports that the person 
  in question is unfit for office, the First Minister may 
  make a motion to the Scottish Parliament for the judge’s 
  removal from office. If the Parliament passes such a resolution, 
  the First Minister can make a recommendation to Her Majesty 
  that the judge in question be removed from office. 
  



Courts Group 
  

Complaints about sheriffs principal and sheriffs are submitted 
  to Scottish ministers.
The Lord President of the Court of Session and the Lord 
  Justice Clerk undertake an investigation into the sheriff 
  principal or sheriff’s fitness for office. If the individual 
  is found to be unfit for office, the First Minister may 
  make an order, subject to the resolution of the Scottish 
  Parliament, removing him or her from office. 
  



Courts Group 
  

Complaints about part-time sheriffs are submitted to Scottish 
  ministers.
Where there are serious concerns about the fitness for 
  office of a part-time sheriff, the Scottish ministers may 
  request an investigation to be carried out by a tribunal, 
  appointed by the Lord President of the Court of Session. 
  If the tribunal finds the individual unfit for office, it 
  may order that the part-time sheriff be removed from office. 
  



Scottish Prison Service (SPS) 
  

Complaints Procedure (CP) for Prisoners.
This procedure is established through The Prisons and Young 
  Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 1994 as amended. 
  This enables prisoners to raise complaints formally on general 
  matters; confidential matters direct to the Governor; medical 
  complaints, and appeals against Orderly Room (disciplinary) 
  decisions. The CP system enables complaints to be considered 
  on a progressive basis from residential officer to Governor 
  in Charge. Where a complaint has gone through the CP system 
  and the prisoner remains dissatisfied with the answers provided 
  he can raise the matter with the Scottish Prisons Complaints 
  Commissioner. (SPCC).
The SPCC is independent of the SPS and was created by administrative 
  arrangements. The Commissioner can investigate any complaint 
  (except medical complaints), which have exhausted the internal 
  CP system.
Prisoner’s complaints about medical matters
are dealt with by the prison Medical Officer. The General 
  Medical Council or relevant professional health care body 
  provide an independent element. 
  



Criminal Justice 
  

Complaints about the performance or behaviour of justices 
  of the peace (JPs) are submitted to Scottish ministers. 
  Full (bench-sitting) justices may be removed from office 
  only by an independent tribunal, appointed by the Lord President. 
  Signing (non bench-sitting) justices may be removed from 
  office by Scottish ministers.
A wide-ranging review of the district courts is imminent 
  and the appointment and removal arrangements of JPs will 
  be considered as part of that. 
  



Criminal Justice 
  

Stipendiary Magistrates may only be removed from office 
  under the same procedures as apply to full-time Sheriffs.
The procedures for dealing with complaints against Stipendiary 
  Magistrates may be considered as part of the review of the 
  district courts 
  



Scottish Executive Health Dept. 
  



NHS 
  

Complaints relating to NHSScotland organisations. 
  



Scottish Executive Education Dept. 
  



Historic Scotland 
  

Complaints procedure for any matters for which Historic 
  Scotland is responsible, as set out in the publication Raising 
  the Standard – A Contract for the Built Heritage. 
  



HM Inspectorate 
  

Complaints about any aspect of an inspection or inspection 
  report.
HM Chief Inspector and HM Deputy Senior Chief Inspector 
  are not part of inspection teams and therefore provide an 
  independent element to the procedure. 
  



Scottish Executive Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Dept. 
  



Student Awards Agency 
  

Complaints about level of service falling below expected 
  standards.
It is intended to review this procedure during 2002. 
  



Scottish Executive Finance and Central Services Dept. 
  



Statistics Group 
  

Complaints about any statistics published by the Scottish 
  Executive statistical service.
Agreement has recently been reached that the independent 
  UK Statistics Commission will function in Scotland. Implementation 
  issues are still under consideration. 
  



Crown Office 
  



Crown Office 
  

Crown Office and the Procurator Fiscal Service has an internal 
  complaints procedure. In terms of the complaints procedure 
  published on the departmental website and in accordance 
  with the Justice Charter, members of the public are invited 
  to address complaints to the relevant Procurator Fiscal, 
  the Lord Advocate’s Department or the Crown Agent depending 
  on the nature of the complaint or enquiry.
A detailed review of the complaints procedure has just 
  been completed and the department is in the process of implementing 
  an improved procedure.

Debt

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations and outside bodies have been sent copies of Striking the Balance – a new approach to debt management and the accompanying consultation questionnaire.

Mr Jim Wallace: Copies of the report of the Working Group on a Replacement for Poinding and Warrant Sale, Striking the Balance – a new approach to debt management , together with a consultation questionnaire have been issued to some 600 organisations, bodies and individuals. A copy of the consultation list is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. In addition, copies of the report have been made available to all who requested it. The text of the report and consultation paper is available on the Scottish Executive website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/justice/stbf-00.asp

Drug Education

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which schools in the north east do not provide drug education programmes.

Mr Jack McConnell: Information at individual school level may be requested from education authorities. The following table, however, contains information at an education authority level.

  


Local Authority 
  

Number of Schools included in survey 
  

Number of schools which responded 
  

Number of schools which provide drug education 
  



Aberdeen 
  

80 
  

78 
  

72 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

180 
  

164 
  

160 
  



Dundee 
  

53 
  

53 
  

53 
  



Angus 
  

69 
  

69 
  

69 
  



Perth and Kinross 
  

90 
  

90 
  

88 
  



Moray 
  

54 
  

54 
  

53

Economy

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding convergence of the Scottish economy with the euro-zone area.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive has regular contact with HM Treasury on a range of economic issues.

  UK membership of the single European currency is a reserved issue. Convergence between the UK economy and the economies of the single currency area is one of the five economic tests set out by the Chancellor, which will be assessed as part of any decision to join. Any assessment will be based on the UK economy as a whole.

Environment

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of Scotland’s beaches have been found to contain sewage discharge.

Rhona Brankin: There are 60 identified bathing waters in Scotland. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency monitors these waters to determine whether they meet European microbiological standards.

  Last year nine waters failed to meet the mandatory standard. These failures can occur because of inputs from a number of sources. However, SEPA has identified risks of pollution from sewer sources at seven of these beaches as set out in its publication Scottish Bathing Waters 2000 (Bib. no. 15371).

  The water authorities have embarked on a significant programme of upgrading. Their investment scenarios are set out in the Executives Quality and Standards documents, which are referred to in the answer given to question S1W-17169. Upgrading work includes sewer remediation and improvements in sewage treatment. The water authorities will have to ensure that these improvements will allow bathing water to meet the higher guideline standard set by SEPA.

Environment

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which policy areas are covered by the Scottish Climate Change Programme, as referred to in page 87 of The Scottish Budget .

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Climate Change Programme, available on the Executive’s climate change website at www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/environment/ccm.pdf, covers policies in six broad sectors, namely energy, business, transport, domestic, public and agriculture, forestry and land use.

Environment

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advanced planning in relation to finance and human resources has been undertaken in preparation for implementation of the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, as referred to in page 186 of The Scottish Budget .

Rhona Brankin: Consideration of any specific financial requirements associated with the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy will be given in the light of the findings of Executive-commissioned research, Potential Adaptation Strategies for Climate Change in Scotland , due to report shortly.

  The Air, Climate and Engineering Unit of the Environment and Rural Affairs Department was recently strengthened by the addition of a policy officer to cover climate change and engineering issues. Duties include taking forward consideration of an adaptation strategy.

Environment

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which ministers represented Scotland at the recent World Climate Change summit in Bonn.

Rhona Brankin: Scotland was represented in Bonn, along with the rest of the UK, by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, and the Minister for the Environment, the Rt Hon Michael Meacher MP. The Deputy Prime Minister also attended for part of the meeting. The UK delegation at the meeting included one of my officials from the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department.

Environment

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what recommendations it has made and what advice it has given to Her Majesty’s Government on public safety, health and environmental issues relating to the storing of radioactive waste at the Rosyth and Faslane naval bases and the nuclear installations at Dounreay and Chapelcross.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive contributes fully to the development of UK policy on radioactive waste management. The safe storage of radioactive waste at nuclear sites is a matter for the site operator and the regulatory bodies, operating within that wider policy framework and the relevant legislation.

Environment

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific monitoring responsibilities the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has in relation to radioactive waste stored at the Rosyth and Faslane naval bases and the nuclear installations at Dounreay and Chapelcross.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has a general responsibility for protecting (and determining general levels of pollution in) the environment. SEPA does not monitor waste stored on site but undertakes a comprehensive environmental monitoring programme to determine the effects on the environment of radioactive discharges from nuclear installations. The results of the programme are reported annually in Radioactivity in Food and the Environment (RIFE). A copy of the latest RIFE report is available in the Parliament Information Centre (Bib. no. 146000).

Environment

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it has had with and what advice it has given Her Majesty’s Government on public safety, health and environmental issues relating to the transportation of radioactive waste from the Rosyth and Faslane naval bases.

Rhona Brankin: The regulation of the transport of radioactive material (including waste) is a reserved matter for the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. The regulations are designed to ensure that the transport of radioactive material is carried out in such a manner as to safeguard public safety, health and the environment.

Exports

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to increase export activity following the Lloyds TSB Scotland Business Monitor Report of spring 2001, which indicated a 23% decrease in export activity in the first quarter of 2001.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive, through Scottish Trade International (STI), is committed to helping Scottish exporters. STI’s activities have, over the past five years, been directed by the Export Development Strategy for Scotland.

  The continuing need to ensure that companies in Scotland are able to realise the full benefits of trading in international markets will be a key theme of the Global Connections Strategy, which we will be publishing shortly. This will provide a focus for future international economic development activity.

  Official Scottish Manufactured Exports statistics are compiled by the Scottish Executive from data collected by the Office for National Statistics. They measure actual performance, and provide an estimate of the volume and value of export sales. Figures for the first quarter of 2001 showed an increase of 1.9% in real terms, in the level of manufacturing export sales compared with the previous quarter.

Flood Prevention

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its target of paying 95% of claims from local authorities for flood prevention and coast protection schemes within four weeks, as referred to in chapter 10 of The Scottish Budget: Annual Expenditure Report of the Scottish Executive , is being achieved.

Rhona Brankin: For year 2000-01 the Executive paid all claims from local authorities for flood prevention and coast protection schemes within four weeks of the required information being available, thereby achieving the 95% target.

  To date this financial year the target is not being achieved – with one payment, out of the five made, taking over the four-week period.

Football

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide financial support for full-size indoor football facilities as part of the investment to support a bid for the European Nations Football Championships 2008 and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Allan Wilson: Consideration will be given to whether support should be given to additional football facilities if the Scottish Football Association decides to bid for the 2008 European Nations Football Championships when UEFA issues its bid criteria.

Football

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what investment as part of any bid to host the 2008 European Football Championships will be put into improving both current facilities for youth development and training and indoor facilities which would allow for all-year-round training.

Allan Wilson: Investment is already being made in facilities for youth development and in training and indoor facilities through the football academies programme.

Football

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances it will give that necessary improvement in the road, rail and air infrastructure will be included in any bid to host the 2008 European Football Championships.

Allan Wilson: The Executive is presently considering the infrastructure issues raised by the proposals for 2008 related development received by the Scottish Football Association from Scottish football clubs.

Forestry

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14478 by Rhona Brankin on 12 April 2001, how many felling licences have been withdrawn in each of the past 10 years.

Rhona Brankin: No felling licences have been withdrawn when landowners have failed to comply with the conditions in the licence. The Forestry Commission has, however, served 16 enforcement notices on landowners in these circumstances over the last five years.

General Practitioners

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that there will always be an adequate number of GPs.

Susan Deacon: As I announced on 20 June, Professor John Temple is to chair the fundamental review of medical workforce planning which was a commitment in Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change . The review will consider the many complex areas surrounding the supply of trained doctors to NHSScotland, including the provision for general practice.

  The Executive are also currently working with ISD Scotland, the Scottish General Practitioners Committee (SGPC) and the Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education (SCPMDE), to develop a statistical model to project the overall supply and demand of the general practitioner (GP) workforce in Scotland. Information obtained from this study will be used to inform decisions on training posts for general practitioners.

  Earlier this year I also announced new arrangements to give GPs the option of becoming permanent salaried employees of NHSScotland and additional investment to fund up to an extra 50 GP posts in deprived and rural areas.

General Practitioners

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its announcement on 25 January 2001 of a permanent Personal Medical Services option in relation to the employment status of GPs, how many salaried GPs have been employed to date; where these GPs are located, and how many salaried GPs it expects to be employed by March 2002.

Malcolm Chisholm: There are currently 29 Personal Medical Services (PMS) salaried GPs—16 in Grampian, nine in Lothian and four in Tayside. The total for those to be employed by March 2002 will be available shortly after the deadline of 31 December 2001 for applications to become PMS by 1 April 2002.

General Practitioners

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its announcement on 25 January 2001 of a permanent Personal Medical Services option in relation to the employment status of GPs, what resources have been made available to each health trust for the implementation of this initiative to date and what proportion of these resources have been spent or committed to date.

Malcolm Chisholm: A recurring investment programme of £4.5/6/8 million over the next three years has been made to NHS boards for the development of Personal Medical Services (PMS) in Scotland. The table shows the breakdown of Personal Medical Services allocations for Year 1 (2001-02). NHS boards have until 31   of December 2001 to submit applications for PMS contracts, including the amount of investment they require.

  


Health Board 
  

GMS Arbuthnott Allocation (%) 
  

Indicative Allocation (£) 
  



Argyll & Clyde 
  

8.51 
  

370,283 
  



Ayrshire & Arran 
  

7.52 
  

326,970 
  



Borders 
  

2.21 
  

95,948 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

3.24 
  

141,017 
  



Fife 
  

6.48 
  

281,736 
  



Forth Valley 
  

5.31 
  

231,151 
  



Grampian 
  

9.68 
  

420,895 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

19.02 
  

827,336 
  



Highland 
  

5.24 
  

228,078 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

10.68 
  

464,747 
  



Lothian 
  

14.12 
  

614,384 
  



Orkney 
  

0.00 
  

50,000 
  



Shetland 
  

0.00 
  

50,000 
  



Tayside 
  

7.99 
  

347,455 
  



Western Isles 
  

0.00 
  

50,000 
  



Scotland 
  

100.00 
  

4,500,000

Government Services

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the devolved government services which can be accessed online and delivered electronically.

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list each website maintained by its departments and agencies and by other Scottish public bodies, specifying in each case the devolved government services which can be accessed from the site and the transactions which can be completed over the internet.

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12765 by Angus MacKay on 7 March 2001, what progress it is making in revising the collection of statistics on electronic service delivery; whether an updated estimate of the percentage of devolved government services currently delivered electronically is available, and what percentage of devolved government services it expects to be delivered electronically by the end of (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003.

Angus MacKay: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17320 on 29 August 2001.

Government Services

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring of the e-government strategies of the USA, Canada, Brazil, Hong Kong and Ireland it undertakes; who carries out any such monitoring, and what specific e-government projects, ideas or developments in these countries have been or are being considered for implementation in Scotland, outlining the reason for the idea being adopted or rejected in each case where a decision has been made.

Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive keeps in touch with e-government progress in a number of countries across the globe, including the USA, Canada, EC countries, the Far East and Australasia, either directly through the staff of its 21 st Century Government Unit and its Digital Scotland Unit, or through access to the work of third parties such as Whitehall departments. This is achieved in a variety of ways including through checking internet sites, attending seminars, overseas visits, meetings with individuals and scanning the press.

  Most countries’ strategies have broadly similar aims to the Executive and have identified similar problems and, as such, we actively seek to adopt good practice from their experiences.

Health

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to whom health boards are answerable regarding the standard and adequacy of their service delivery.

Susan Deacon: Under the new arrangements for governance in NHSScotland, NHS boards will be strategic bodies, accountable to the Scottish Executive Health Department and to ministers for the functions of the NHS board and for the performance of the local NHS system.

Health

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are currently diagnosed as suffering from cystic fibrosis.

Susan Deacon: The United Kingdom’s Cystic Fibrosis Register is held and managed within the Tayside Institute of Child Health in Ninewells Hospital, Dundee and the latest figures for the year 2000 show that there are 692 cystic fibrosis patients registered on this database, with 348 being 16 or under and 344 over the age of 16.

Heritage

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take following the recent meeting between the Deputy Minister for Sport, the Arts and Culture and the Dundee Heritage Trust.

Allan Wilson: I have invited the Dundee Heritage Trust to work up a detailed forward plan in consultation with its partners, and to keep me informed of developments. In due course I will discuss the plan with the trustees in the light of the outcome of the National Audit in relation to the trust’s museums.

Historic Sites

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to conduct an audit of Scotland’s heritage comparable to English Heritage’s The Monuments At Risk Survey of England 1995 .

Allan Wilson: No. The English Heritage Survey was a sampling exercise which demonstrated that monuments are at risk for a variety of reasons. A different approach has been adopted in Scotland. Historic Scotland’s monument wardens are engaged in a programme under which every scheduled monument in Scotland (there are at present some 7,500) will be visited and its condition recorded in a structured way. Following the conclusion of this programme in 2004, we will have comprehensive and up-to-date information on all monuments scheduled as being of national importance and be in a position to reach informed conclusions about the overall state of ancient monuments in Scotland.

Historic Sites

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many historic sites and buildings are in its ownership and care and managed by Historic Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland and other agencies; what the criteria are for the acquisition of historic sites and buildings, and whether it has conducted, or is considering conducting, any survey of pre-medieval or medieval monuments with a view to taking further sites into its ownership or care.

Allan Wilson: Over 300 historic sites and buildings are in the care of Historic Scotland, an agency of the Scottish Executive. Of these, 76 are owned by Scottish ministers and four are on long leases. The remainder, including a few owned by the National Trust for Scotland, are in guardianship under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Acts. All are maintained by Historic Scotland. In most cases, visitor services are also provided by the agency, although in a very small number of cases other arrangements are in place.

  Historic Scotland is not actively seeking to add to the portfolio of properties for which it cares, but approaches are made to the agency from time to time to do so and other opportunities may arise. Such approaches and opportunities are given careful consideration but only sites of national importance or of very exceptional archaeological or architectural merit are taken into care by Historic Scotland on behalf of Scottish ministers.

  The National Trust for Scotland is a non-governmental organisation. It receives grant assistance from the Scottish Executive, through Historic Scotland, towards the cost of agreed programmes of work to maintain and repair the historic fabric of outstanding properties in its care. Historic Scotland can also pay acquisition grant to the National Trust for Scotland.

Historic Sites

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9277 by Sarah Boyack on 11 September 2000, whether it is now able to report on Historic Scotland’s review of ways of recognising and protecting Scotland’s battlefield sites, and whether the position paper referred to in the answer to question S1W-9277 has been, or will now be, placed in the Scottish Parliament information centre.

Allan Wilson: We have concluded that a register of battlefield sites would be a useful resource. My officials in Historic Scotland are engaged in discussions with possible partners in the academic, local government and voluntary sectors regarding the creation of a register, which I should stress would be advisory only.

  Three relevant items have now been lodged with the Parliament’s reference centre: Historic Scotland’s earlier position paper, the report of the pilot study and a paper prepared for the Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland.

Housing

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it has received from each local authority as a result of housing capital set-aside rules in each of the last five years.

Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive does not receive any money from local authorities as a result of the housing capital receipts set-aside rules.

Information Technology

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the population in (a) Scotland, (b) each parliamentary region and (c) each local authority area has home access to the internet and how the figure for the whole of Scotland compares to the equivalent figure for (i) the USA and (ii) the European Union.

Ms Wendy Alexander: (a) The latest statistics for Scotland as a whole show that 25%   of households had access to the internet from home (Scottish Household Survey, October-December 2000).

  (b) Statistics are not currently available by parliamentary region.

  (c) Statistics are given in the table by local authority area.

  (i) The figure given for home internet access for the USA is 41% (August 2000) from the report Falling Through the Net by the US Department of Commerce, published October 2000.

  (ii) For the European Union as a whole, home internet access is an average of 28% (Eurobarometer, October 2000).

  Household access to the internet by local authority

  


Local Authority 
  

Percentage with access 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

30 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

30 
  



Angus 
  

23 
  



Argyll & Bute 
  

26 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

25 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

20 
  



Dundee City 
  

19 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

19 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

32 
  



East Lothian 
  

24 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

35 
  



Edinburgh, City of 
  

28 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

23 
  



Falkirk 
  

22 
  



Fife 
  

22 
  



Glasgow City 
  

15 
  



Highland 
  

27 
  



Inverclyde 
  

20 
  



Midlothian 
  

22 
  



Moray 
  

23 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

20 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

17 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

23 
  



Perth & Kinross 
  

31 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

18 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

21 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

29 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

23 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

21 
  



Stirling 
  

32 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

16 
  



West Lothian 
  

25 
  



Average 
  

23 
  



  Source: Scottish Household Survey 2000.

  The sample size used by just one Scottish Household Survey is not large enough to permit breakdown of the latest results by local authority, since any results would be based on small numbers and would therefore be unreliable. In order to provide results at a sub-Scotland level, the figures have been produced by combining data collected over the whole of 2000. They therefore present the average figure over this time period rather that the "end of 2000" results.

Less Favoured Areas

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when the analysis of the 2001 less favoured area scheme will be complete so as to allow any changes to be proposed to the European Commission in time for the scheme’s operation in 2002.

Ross Finnie: The Industry/Scottish Executive Working Group set up to consider the operation of the scheme is currently considering an initial analysis of this year’s payments with a view to assessing possible changes to next year’s scheme.

Less Favoured Areas

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when its analysis of the impact of the less favoured areas support scheme on individuals and on regions within Scotland will be completed and whether this analysis will be published.

Ross Finnie: An analysis of payments under the new scheme is being finalised and will be placed with the Parliament’s reference centre next month.

Less Favoured Areas

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates the working group set up to investigate the impact of the less favoured areas support scheme has met or is expected to meet.

Ross Finnie: The working group first met on 10 November 2000. Subsequent meetings were held on 15 December 2000, 23 February 2001 and 3 August 2001. The next meeting was scheduled for 21 August 2001, but because a number of industry representatives found that they could not in fact attend, it has been postponed to the end of August.

Less Favoured Areas

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if the working group set up to investigate the impact of the less favoured areas support scheme finds that many crofters and farmers have suffered financial loss as a result of the scheme, it will introduce a new scheme.

Ross Finnie: Because I was able to negotiate the 90% safety net, any losses under the new scheme have been restricted to within 90% of the previous year’s payments. There is no prospect of the EU agreeing to the introduction of a new scheme at this stage.

Modernising Government

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total number of forms is that can be issued by it, or any of the agencies or non-departmental public bodies for which it is responsible, for completion by an external party.

Angus MacKay: The information requested on the number of forms issued by the Executive, agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally. However, the Executive is committed to reducing the burden placed on providers of information. The following are examples of some of the action being taken:

  a bureaucracy audit to reduce the administrative burdens on teachers, schools and authorities;

  development of proposals to allow the electronic submission of legal aid forms by solicitors to the Scottish Legal Aid Board;

  a number of initiatives aimed specifically at reducing bureaucracy for Scottish farmers and crofters.

  More generally, as part of the Modernising Government agenda, the Executive is committed to improving public services. One aspect of this is improving the ease with which information is provided; activity in this respect should have a very positive impact on the current number of forms issued by the Executive and public bodies.

NHS Staff

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies for NHS medical physicists there currently are in each health board area.

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies for NHS medical physics technicians there currently are in each health board area.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is not held centrally.

NHS Staff

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many multi-cultural health officers are currently employed within the NHS, broken down by health board.

Susan Deacon: This information is not held centrally.

NHS Staff

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what vocational training in multi-cultural awareness is given to NHS medical staff and what qualifications are available in this area.

Susan Deacon: Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change requires NHS boards to ensure that their staff are professionally and culturally equipped to meet the distinctive needs of people and family groups from ethnic minority communities. This commitment is underpinned by Learning Together ,   the Strategy for Education Training and Lifelong Learning which requires all NHS staff to have a personal development plan that should ensure that they are adequately trained in equality issues. The Equal Opportunities Policies Guideline which was published in January this year also made clear that training must include a high level of awareness of equal opportunities legislation and its application to selection and recruitment and employment within the Health Service. Application of the policy is a matter for individual NHSScotland employers locally.

  Information on the qualifications available in multi-cultural awareness is not available centrally.

National Lottery Funding

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that National Lottery monies allocated by the Community Fund are targeted at projects based in areas of social exclusion and why this has not happened to date.

Ms Margaret Curran: Policy responsibility for the National Lottery is reserved. Responsibility for distributing proceeds from the lottery rests with the Distributing Bodies.

Nuclear Submarines

Mr John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16446 by Rhona Brankin on 4 July 2001, what the outcome was of its contact with Her Majesty’s Government on the environmental implications of the disposal of material from nuclear-powered submarines.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues, including the environmental implications of the disposal of material from nuclear-powered submarines and, as the Memorandum of Understanding between the Scottish Executive and United Kingdom Government recognises, it is not always appropriate to disclose the outcome of these discussions.

Recycling

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the targets for recycling set out by The Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC) have not yet been met and when implementation of this directive will be achieved through the national waste strategy.

Rhona Brankin: The relevant data on the recovery and recycling of packaging waste are incomplete as some businesses have yet to submit data or are in the process of reviewing their previous estimates. It is therefore too early to say whether the United Kingdom has achieved its’ packaging targets under the EC Packaging Directive. The position should be clearer towards the end of the year when a review of the data which is currently being undertaken is complete.

  Implementation of the directive is an ongoing process. The National Waste Strategy: Scotland identifies packaging waste as a priority waste stream. The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 transpose the directive into UK law and these are enforced in Scotland by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Scottish Environment Protection Agency

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Scottish Environment Protection Agency spent on its recent management restructuring exercise.

Rhona Brankin: The non-recurring costs of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA) recent restructuring exercise were £6,654.29, which was spent on consultancy services.

  There were no redundancy or compensation payments.

  Additional staff costs of approximately £1.8 million per annum will result from the recruitment of around 67 new staff to deal with additional responsibilities placed on SEPA by the Scottish Executive. These new responsibilities flow primarily from legislation. The majority of new staff will be recruited for front-line regulation duties.

Scottish Environment Protection Agency

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has spent on redesigning its corporate logo.

Rhona Brankin: The approximate cost of in-house resources to redesign the logo was £77.50, this being the cost of the graphic designer for one day. It should be noted that the changes were of a minor nature and no external expenditure was incurred.

Scottish Environment Protection Agency

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many members of staff the Scottish Environment Protection Agency employed in corporate and public relations in each of the past three years and how many are expected to be employed in each of the next two years.

Rhona Brankin: The numbers of staff employed or expected to be employed in the relevant years are set out in the following table.

  


Year 
  

Total number of staff in SEPA (full-time 
  equivalent) 
  

Total number of staff in Communications 
  



1999 
  

686 
  

17 
  



2000 
  

752.5 
  

18 
  



2001 
  

805 
  

23 
  



2002 
  

909 
  

26 
  



2003 
  

919 
  

26

Waste Management

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what stage Area Waste Plans have reached; when they will be finalised and published, and what consultation has been undertaken with the public on them, as referred to in chapter 10 of The Scottish Budget: Annual Expenditure Report of the Scottish Executive.

Rhona Brankin: To implement Scotland’s National Waste Strategy eleven Area Waste Plans are being prepared; these will set out the Best Practicable Environmental Option for dealing with waste from each area. The plans are being prepared by groups consisting of local authorities, industry and local organisations, and are co-ordinated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

  The plans have reached various stages of preparation. One draft plan (for the Forth Valley area) was published for public consultation recently. Interim discussion papers setting out options for waste management have been issued for public consultation for four other areas, with others planned between now and October.

  Consultation on the draft plans themselves is programmed in most cases by the end of 2001, with the remainder by the end of the financial year following which they will be finalised.